Hey Lucy, I Remember Your Name
by Remember How I Used To Be
Summary: James Corning had left Lucy Pevensie behind a long time ago and supposedly didn't care about her anymore. But when he learns of her death, he is devastated. He visits her grave to find closure. Just a short oneshot.


**A/N: So dreadfully sorry this is not an update to any of my other stories, but I was listening to a new CD and couldn't resist writing this little story. **

**Song: "Lucy" by Skillet**

* * *

_**Hey Lucy, I remember your name**_

_**I left a dozen roses on your grave today**_

_**I'm in the grass on my knees, wipe the leaves away**_

_**I just came to talk for a while**_

_**I got some things I need to say**_

It was one of those graves that wasn't visited very often. After all, who was there to visit it? The graves around it were other family members and friends. Only one relative was still living and she had moved far away from England to escape the memories. So it was strange for the cemetery caretaker to look up one day and see a young man kneeling on the grass in front of the stone. He wiped the leaves away from the stone and laid a dozen red and white roses in the cleared space. The caretaker turned away to give the young man privacy as he noticed his lips moving.

James Corning was twenty-one-years-old. This was the first time he'd ever visited the cemetery. It had only been recently that he'd learned of the death of Lucy Pevensie and her family. A chance encounter with the only surviving Pevensie, Susan, had left him feeling numb. He'd run into her by accident at a ship dock in America. He'd asked her how her family was, specifically Lucy. Susan had shocked him when she burst into tears and described the train wreck that had killed everyone. It was that feeling of numbness he'd felt then that gripped him now.

"Hey, Lucy," he whispered, running a hand over the name carved into the gravestone. "It's ironic, isn't it? You said the next time we saw each other, I'd not even remember your name. I scoffed and said that one of us would be dead before we met again. I remember your name and can even see your face, but you're dead."

_**Now that it's over**_

_**I just wanna hold her**_

_**I'd give up all the world to see that little piece of heaven looking back at me**_

_**Now that it's over**_

_**I just wanna hold her**_

_**I've gotta live with the choices I made**_

_**And I can't live with myself today**_

James felt his throat tighten as his fingers traced the rough, block letters over and over again. He remembered that last time he'd seen her.

"_James!" Lucy cried out, running down the walkway after him. She caught his arm and pulled him to a halt. _

"_What do you mean: 'It's over'?" she asked, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I thought you loved me."_

_James licked his lips nervously as he considered his response. He didn't love her, of that he was almost positive. How could he? After all, he was only nineteen. She didn't know what love was anymore than he did. _

"_We both know this was just a summer fling," he told her in an even tone. "Did you honestly think we were going to be together forever?" He gave a scoffing laugh. _

"_Yes," she whispered. _

"_Well, I'm sorry. I'll see you around," James told her as he pulled free._

"_You won't even remember my name when you see me next," she said bitterly. _

_For some reason, James felt inexplicable anger rising in his chest. _

"_In that case," he said, turning back to face Lucy. "One of us will be dead and in the ground before we meet again." With that he spun and walked to the waiting taxi._

How could he have been so stupid? James knew now that he did love her, he always had. Somewhere deep inside he'd always hoped he'd run into her on the street and things could go back to the way they once had been. But now, now that could never happen.

_**Hey Lucy, I remembered your birthday**_

_**They said it'd bring some closure to say your name**_

_**I know I'd do it all different if I had the chance**_

_**But all I got are these roses to give**_

_**And they can't help me make amends**_

James played with the ribbon tied around the rose stems as he sat, spouting nonsense to thin air. He looked down and read the ribbon again. "Happy Birthday" was embroidered in elegant script on a green ribbon. That was something he'd never remembered when he'd been courting Lucy as a boy. She would always be so angry that he'd forgotten. Now she was dead and he remembered her birthday for the first time.

"I'm so sorry it took me this long, Lucy," he whispered. "I wish it hadn't. You might be here with me now."

Apologies didn't count now. James knew that. He'd hurt Lucy so much when he'd left. Nothing could ever bring her back.

_**Now that it's over**_

_**I just wanna hold her**_

_**I'd give up all the world to see that little piece of heaven looking back at me**_

_**Now that it's over**_

_**I just wanna hold her**_

_**I've gotta live with the choices I made**_

_**And I can't live with myself today**_

It had been on the one year anniversary of their relationship that Lucy had first mentioned possibly getting married one day. It had frightened James at first, but then he slowly realized that was what he wanted. He'd even considered asking Mr. Pevensie for Lucy's hand once, but that had been so long ago. Now that she was dead and gone, he realized just how much he loved her.

_**Here we are**_

_**Now you're in my arms**_

_**I never wanted anything so bad**_

_**Here we are**_

_**For a brand new start**_

_**Living the life that we could've had**_

_**Me and Lucy walking hand in hand**_

_**Me and Lucy never wanna end**_

_**Just another moment in your eyes**_

_**I'll see you in another life**_

_**In heaven where we never say goodbye**_

Since he'd learned of Lucy's death a year ago, James had envisioned what life might have been like with her. Lucy had always talked about getting married on a beach at sunset. There had been one particular beach she'd loved more than any other. She and James had gone there one summer day for a picnic. It had rained. James had scowled while Lucy had spun around laughing.

He wondered, as he continued tracing the letters of her name, if he'd ever see her again. She'd once told him about a place called Narnia where humans lived with extraordinary creatures. Once she'd mentioned that those who went to the new land could live forever. James had never been one for believing in mythical powers and rulers. He was content with what science could prove to him. But now that Lucy was gone, James found himself hoping that just maybe there was a land that he could journey to and be with Lucy again.

_**Now that it's over**_

_**I just wanna hold her**_

_**I'd give up all the world to see that little piece of heaven looking back at me**_

_**Now that it's over**_

_**I just wanna hold her**_

_**I've gotta live with the choices I made**_

_**And I can't live with myself today**_

_**Here we are, now you're in my arms**_

_**Here we are for a brand new start**_

_**Got to live with the choices I've made**_

_**And I can't live with myself today**_

_**Me and Lucy walking hand in hand**_

_**Me and Lucy never wanna end**_

_**Got to live with the choices I've made**_

_**And I can't live with myself today**_

James stood up abruptly, tears running down his cheeks. His friends had told him that coming here might heal the hurt in his heart. Their advice seemed so stupid. He'd lost Lucy long ago. He'd pushed her away. It was too late to apologize. It was too late to hope for a happy ending with her.

Then for a moment, he paused and looked down at the gravestone. He read the inscription just below her name for the first time. "_Death is the greatest adventure of all. Life is just preparing for the journey." _James thought for a long moment and then smiled softly. Lucy had said that to him once when his sister had died. Back then he had thought her foolish and childish, now he smiled at the words on her grave. Maybe there was hope to see her again.

The caretaker watched the young man walking out of the cemetery, his head held high. He looked back at the grave the young man had visited. He was shocked and frightened as he saw the lion carved into the stone move. Standing beside the lion was a young woman, her carved hair fluttering in the breeze that traveled through the graveyard. She waved once. The caretaker turned to see the young man had stopped and looked back one last time. He wasn't sure if the young man had seen what he had, but he did see the small smile on the man's face. Then the young man left the cemetery and never returned.

* * *

James didn't know where he was. The land was so unfamiliar. He'd lived years after visiting Lucy's grave that one time. He'd never married or even dated any other woman, but he'd lived a happy life. The last thing he remembered before waking up in this unfamiliar land was extreme heat.

He slowly got up and looked around. His mouth went dry when he spotted the familiar form of Lucy Pevensie standing not five yards from him. She smiled shyly at him. His feet moved of their own accord, drawing him closer to her.

Lucy opened her arms to him, holding him tightly. James drew back for a moment and looked down at her. Then he smiled and whispered,

"_**Hey Lucy, I remember your name."**_


End file.
